Star Wars: Medstar 2: Jedi Healer

Rating:
Summary: mostly satisfying
Review: "Jedi Healer" is the second and concluding volume in the "Medstar" duology. It continues the story of the surgeons we met in "Battle Surgeons". They remain on the planet Drongar working in the Star Wars version of a M.A.S.H. unit. One particular storyline continues from the first book, and that is the fact that there is a spy working on Drongar against the Republic. This spy is a double-agent in that he (or she) is working both for the Separatists (the group led by Count Dooku) and also for the Black Sun criminal organization. Since the goal is the same for both groups, at the moment, there is no conflict. There is, however, double the risk for the spy. It is never said who the spy is, or what gender, so there has been some guessing games going on since "Battle Surgeons". With the only true export from Drongar being the fragile miracle drug, "Bota", the spy is finding ways to divert bota from the Republic.

Along with the spy portion of the story is the main story of the surgeons. They live their lives, do their jobs, try to cope with life on the incredibly hot and muggy Drongar, and question why they are doing what they are doing. To go along with the cast of characters from the first book (Jos Vandar, Tolk, Jedi Apprentice Barriss Offee, I-Five) we are introduced to the young surgeon Uli Divini, who is taking the place of the killed surgeon Zan Yant. Uli is very confident, very skilled, and very untested. Jos questions whether Uli will be able to handle the work, though it is quickly evident that he can. There are two conflicts in this book. The first is in the new relationship of Jos and Tolk. It is a relationship which is forbidden by their culture. The second is figuring out who the spy is before the spy can cause any more damage.

As far as Star Wars stories go, I enjoyed the Medstar books more than most. Reaves and Perry have created a very interesting story here and a satisfying conclusion. Granted, I would have been slightly more satisfied if the spy was the other person, but we can't have it all. "Battle Surgeons" is a slightly better book because there was more of a M.A.S.H. feel to it, but there is much to like here. Anytime Barriss Offee is on the page is a good scene. She is one of the most interesting characters and the fact that she is a Jedi in training dealing with the potential for a drug addiction was a great idea, if underused. There was less M.A.S.H. stuff here, but the interactions with I-Five (the droid) more than make up for it. This book features, of all things, a quest to get I-Five drunk. Classic.

While this is a prequel novel featuring mostly on characters which were not in the movies, this Clone Wars novel helps to provide a feel (along with "Battle Surgeons") of just how the Clone Wars affected nearly everyone in the galaxy in some way. While there are no grand space battles, this, is like a battle to secure one meaningless hill in WWII. The battle must be fought because the other side wants the hill (though Bota is far more valuable than a hill), but in the larger picture, the hill doesn't really mean that much. The opportunity to see the surgeons again is more than worth the price of having a book set around that meaningless hill.

-Joe Sherry

Rating:
Summary: Misplaced humor spoils conclusion
Review: 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

The biggest problem with the book is the use of modern day phrases and people, as well as references to other science fiction sagas as an attempt at sophomoric humor which pulls the reader right out of his willing sense of disbelief. For example we have a reference to the quote "I've fallen and I can't get up.", the USO tours with Bob Hope and plays his theme song "Thanks for the Memories.", the journalist orders a Pan Galactic Gargleblaster and at the end, the droid and the journalist walk off together a la Casablance stating more or less "I think this is the beginnning of a beautiful friendship."

Bad humor aside the book is a satisfying conclusion to the first one. The spy is telegraphed very early on to the reader thus increasing the tension as to when/if they will be caught, or if the wrong person will be accused. The droid I-5 and the journalist Den Dhur get some good development and Jos and Tolk's relationship travails are the most emotionally engaging part of the book.

As with all the clone wars novels, plot developments make the entire reason for the fighting and loss of life pointless, continuing on with the overall theme of the pointlessness and horror of war throughout the novels.

Were it not for the inappropriate humor, this would have been the equal of the first book. All in all it was a most satisfying duology. We get closure and haven't seen the story dragged out longer than necessary.

Rating:
Summary: Good solid character-driven plot
Review: It's about time somebody wrote a book like this. Most Star Wars novels seem to compete with each other for whose characters can wield the most amount of Force, so in one book they're destroying a planet and the next they're destroying a solar system, until finally somebody has the galaxy in the palm of their hand.

Sheesh.

This on the other hand is more about characters you can actually identify with, good solid writing with back stories and culture and history, and enough tension to keep you going. It's a fine set of characters. The plot twist was easy to spot a mile away, but had just enough doubt to keep you suspended between hope and angst.

Really this is more like something George Lucas would have written, with MUCH better dialog: a set of otherwise fairly normal people, set in extraordinary times. If you're tired of the spinoff authors who can't think of any better story climax than yet even more destructive power in the hands of evil, this is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Good (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, DON'T READ IF YOU'RE WEAK-MINDED
Review: Jedi Healer continues with the original Battle Surgeons.
More characters are added in, like Kornell Divini.
The Separatist spy is revealed.
IT IS NONE OTHER THAN THE BIG FAT EQUANNI!!!
No, Kaird of Nediji did not die. He SORTA survived.

Rating:
Summary: Alas, Medstar, I though I knew ye...
Review: Jedi Healer is not a bad book. That said, it's not a particularly good one, either.

Let me explain. I loved the first Medstar novel, Battle Surgeons. It let us see others involved in the Clone Wars, not just the Jedi and stormtroopers-to-be. But while that book was excellent, and had a great setup for Jedi Healer, the latter just fell apart.

The title character, the Jedi healer, Bariss? Reduced to a subplot, along with the actual fighting (which did have a role in the first book). The whole purpose of the fighting is undone, rendering the events of the novels pointless. And the reveal of the spy (continued from the first novel) involves too much false setup and no hints as to the real culprit.

That said, I'm still looking forward to Reaves's upcoming Star Wars trilogy, since these two have both proven their potential elsewhere; Jedi Healer simply isn't a showcase for them.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Conclusion to the MedStar Books
Review: Star Wars: Medstar 2: Jedi Healer by Steve Perry and Michael Reaves was the conclusion to the MedStar books, and I have to say it did not live up to the first book and overall was a bit of a disappointment. The story was prediactable. The struggles of Barriss in regards to the so called "wonder drug" was overrated. It just didn't involve me with the characters as much as the first book did. While there were some humorous elements and some interesting relationships, the identity of the spy at the end was no surprise and the authors failed to emotionally involve the reader in the story the way they did in the first book. The book was technically well-written and it was not the worst Star Wars book ever written, in fact I would put it in the average to slightly above average Star Wars books categories, but it just wasn't as strong as I'd hoped it would be.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not the best.
Review: This was a pretty good conclusion to the duology. I like Medstar I and II because it was a mixture of M.A.S.H. and Star Wars which are two of my favorites. It is not the most entertaining of the Star Wars novels I've read, but it's worth the read.